RIPE Dear Sir, Madam, ETNO, representing 41 major telecom operators from 34 European countries, has studied the proposed global Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) policy for allocation of IPv6 blocks to Regional Internet Registries. The Association supports the document and welcomes the open and transparent process used in the development of this proposal. More details are in the attached Expert Contribution EC080. The document is the unanimous opinion of ETNO Members represented in the ETNO Naming, Addressing and Numbering Working Group and has been endorsed by the ETNO Board. We are all prepared to discuss these comments in more detail and whenever useful. ETNO will be pleased to contribute to the further development of Europes views on the issue. Best regards, Michael Bartholomew ETNO Director ------------------------- March 2006 ETNO Expert Contribution on the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) policy for allocation of IPv6 blocks to Regional Internet Registries Executive Summary ETNO supports the proposed global Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) policy for allocation of IPv6 blocks to Regional Internet Registries and welcomes the open and transparent process used in the development of this proposal. The European Telecommunications Network Operators' Association ETNO (1) has carefully reviewed the proposed global policy on Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) Policy for Allocation of IPv6 Blocks to Regional Internet Registries. ETNO understands that currently no global policy for allocating IPv6 addresses from IANA to RIRs is in place and believes that such a policy is needed. Current allocations from IANA are done on a /23 basis, which in practice have shown that this fixed allocation size is too small and do not allow for efficient and effective management of the resource by the RIRs. The proposal to use /12 as a unit of IPv6 allocation from IANA to RIRs will overcome these problems mentioned above. The policy also provides clear rules and procedures for calculation of available and necessary space and criteria for eligibility for initial and additional allocations. This whole new concept was discussed in an open and transparent way and finally supported within all RIRs fora. ETNO supports this approach as it provides higher flexibility for the RIRs to achieve an efficient and effective management of the IPv6 resource for the benefit of their members and the overall Internet community. (1) The European Telecommunications Network Operators' Association is representing 41 major companies from 34 European countries, providing electronic communications networks over fixed, mobile or personal communications systems. ETNO's primary purpose is to establish a constructive dialogue between its member companies and actors involved in the development of the European Information Society to the benefit of users. More information on ETNO can be found at: www.etno.be ETNO Expert Contribution EC080 (2006/03)